Rudbeckia plant named ‘Early Bird Gold’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Rudbeckia  plant named ‘Early Bird Gold’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; single-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets and dark brown-colored disc florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Rudbeckia fulgida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘EARLY BIRD GOLD’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant, botanically known as Rudbeckia fulgida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Early Bird Gold’.

The new Rudbeckia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’, not patented. The new Rudbeckia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Goldstrum’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Plaquemine, La. in June, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Rudbeckia by tissue culture in a controlled greenhouse environment in Plaquemine, La. since Feb. 1, 2007 has shown that the unique features of this new Rudbeckia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Rudbeckia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Early Bird Gold’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Early Bird Gold’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Single-type inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray         florets and dark brown-colored disc florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ from plants of the parent, ‘Goldstrum’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact than plants of         ‘Goldstrum’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have a longer flowering period         than plants of ‘Goldstrum’.     -   3. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Goldstrum’.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia can be compared to plants of the Rudbeckia ‘Black Beauty’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,648. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Plaquemine, La., plants of the new Rudbeckia differed from plants of ‘Black Beauty’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia were more compact than plants of         ‘Black Beauty’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Black Beauty’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Rudbeckia. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Rudbeckia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Early Bird Gold’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Early Bird Gold’.

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs were grown in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse during the late winter/early spring in Plaquemine, La. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Rudbeckia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 29° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 24° C. to 29° C. Rooted young plants were planted in one-quart containers and had been growing for twelve weeks when the photographs were taken.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in an outdoor nursery during the late spring and summer in Fort Worth, Tex. and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Rudbeckia production. Rooted young plants were planted in ground beds and had been growing for twelve weeks when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Early Bird Gold’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Rudbeckia     fulgida ‘Goldstrum’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at temperatures of             29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plants.—About two months at             temperatures of 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, medium thickness; white in color.         -   Root habit.—Moderate branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennial; single-type potted             Rudbeckia. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and             mounded plant habit. Strong and freely branching growth             habit with about 12 to 15 lateral branches developing per             plant each with numerous secondary branches; dense and bushy             habit. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 33 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 38 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 21.5 cm. Diameter: About             5.5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A to 146C             occasionally overlain with close to 187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple, sessile.         -   Length.—About 13 cm to 15 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.5 cm to 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrated.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: More green than             147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A;             venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets and tubular disc florets.             Inflorescences borne on terminal and axillary peduncles             above and beyond the foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants flower from             early spring to late fall in Plaquemine, La., flowering             continuous during this period.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescence.—Freely flowering, inflorescences             developing at every node.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.75 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.75 cm. Receptacle             height: About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 9 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate to lanceolate. Orientation:             Initially incurved, then upright, then perpendicular to the             peduncle; apices reflexing with development. Length: About             3.75 cm. Width: About 7.5 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety; longitudinally ridged. Number of             ray florets per inflorescence: About 13 to 17 arranged in a             single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             17A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 15A. Fully             opened, upper surface: More intense than 17A; venation,             similar to lamina. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             15A; venation, similar to lamina.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             7 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: Numerous. Color, immature: Towards the apex,             close to 200A; towards the base, close to 154D. Color,             mature: Towards the apex, close to 200A; towards the base,             close to 144A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 14             to 17 in one to two whorls. Length: About 1.75 cm. Width:             About 6 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Scattered pubescence. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 8 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle:             Erect to about 55° from vertical. Strength: Moderately             strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged.             Color: Close to 146A to 146C occasionally overlain with             close to 187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Five. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 6A. Pollen amount: None observed.             Gynoecium (present only on disc florets). Pistil length:             About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: Close to             154C. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to 154C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.             Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests             common to Rudbeckias has not been observed on plants grown             under commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Rudbeckia have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about 1° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Rudbeckia plant named ‘Early Bird Gold’ as illustrated and described. 